The Federalist papers were the basic documents which cemented the foundation of democracy in America. Although the Papers were intended as instruments to convince the colonists to adopt the federal form of government and the proposed US constitution, they later became the most studied documents in Western democracy.

The Federalist Papers were written and published during the years 1787 and 1788 in several New York State newspapers to persuade New York voters to ratify the proposed constitution. The primary authors were Alexander Hamilton and James Madison with help from John Jay. In total, the Federalist Papers contains 85 essays outlining how this new government would operate and why this type of government was the best choice for the United States of America. All of the essays were signed "PUBLIUS" and the actual authors of some are under dispute, but the general consensus is that Hamilton wrote 52, Madison wrote 28 and Jay contributed the remaining 5. The Federalist Papers remain today as an excellent reference for historians and constitutional scholars.